Whole-Home Safety: Room-by-Room Safety Fixes for the Entire House

If you’re a parent, chances are you have no problem relating to the saying, “You can’t be everywhere at once.” Juggling a career with my kids’ countless homework assignments, sporting events, performances and other after-school activities makes for a busy schedule.

This saying also applies to home safety. You might not be able to have an eye on all the rooms of your home at once, but with a bit of prudence and the help of innovative safety technologies, you can still make sure each area of the home is safe and protected.

Here is a home safety checklist that might help:

Basement Safety

Depending on where you live, you may or may not have a basement – but for those of us who do, we know basements are susceptible to water damage. Install a water alarm to alert your family to a leak before it can cause some serious damage.

Kitchen Safety

The National Fire Protection Association reports that cooking is the leading cause of home fires. Keeping a fire extinguisher on hand can allow you to put out small cooking fires before they blaze out of control. I also recommend fire extinguisher aerosol sprays, which fit under a kitchen cabinet and are as simple to use as a canister of hairspray.

Living Area Safety

Install interconnected smoke alarms. These alarms “talk” to each other and, when one alarm sounds, they all sound. These systems can also verbally alert your family to the type of danger (smoke or carbon monoxide) and the location (the kitchen, for instance). By knowing the location of the fire or carbon monoxide leak, you can adjust your escape plan to safely exit the home.

Bedroom Safety

If you live in a two-story house, be sure to store fire escape ladders in the upstairs bedrooms. You also should install alarms – both smoke and carbon monoxide – inside each room of the home.

Garage Safety

Avoid hazardous trips and falls by storing seasonal products off the floor. Hanging bike racks or storage devices for out-of-use gardening tools or sporting goods can be a real organizational help in your garage.

Guest blogger Debbie Hanson is director of external affairs for First Alert, a trusted brand in home safety products.

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Whole-Home Safety: Room-by-Room Safety Fixes for the Entire HouseJanuary 30, 2013Debbie Hanson, First Alerthttp://blog.allstate.com/home-safety-checklist/If you’re a parent, chances are you have no problem relating to the saying, "You can’t be everywhere at once." Juggling a career with my kids’ countless homework assignments, sporting events, performances and other after-school activities makes for a busy schedule. This saying also applies to home safety. You might…http://blog.allstate.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Oven-Fire-Extinguisher-iStock-1024x682.jpgAllstateWhole-Home Safety: Room-by-Room Safety Fixes for the Entire House